


Hands to the Sky

by DreadfulStar



Category: Original Work
Genre: Bombing, Character Death, Government Agencies, Gun Violence, Implied/Referenced Terrorism, Minor Character Death, Original Fiction, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:06:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26786404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreadfulStar/pseuds/DreadfulStar
Summary: A short story assignment from 2017. This was one of several stories that were an overall story. This piece follows the story from the POV of teenage rebel Kayne O'Peters. We had to choose a character based on a series of historical/political photographs. The overarching story spanned a series of terrorist attacks, conspiracy theories, and revenge for the death of a family member.Kayne O'Peters took the rebellion seriously. He couldn't take the loss anymore. After traveling somewhere where he hoped to recruit, he is faced with a horror worse than ever before. Now, time is fleeting for him to fix what little he can and return a friend to safety.
Kudos: 1





	Hands to the Sky

The soldiers marched through his ancestor’s streets like vermin infesting the walls of an ancient family mansion. The grandness of fond memories spanned each handcrafted panel until it crumbled to the wrath of the gnarly teeth jutting from the unwelcomed beasts that crept along the corridors. Kayne eyed the uniformed living mannequins as they strut by, displaying a misplaced dominance in a place they had no real control. Kayne tightened his jaw and turned away from the sight. Soldiers continued to march along the streets. 

The United Kingdom continues to send soldiers to keep the peace in Northern Ireland, but the sight of the infestation boiled the blood in Kayne’s veins. Northern Ireland did not need anyone to monitor them, no one to babysit. The increasing pressure of the soldiers to occupy the country irritated those proud to be their own nation. The UK pretended Kayne’s own country misbehaved and needed to be ‘saved’ or controlled. To keep the anarchy down, soldier prowled the streets, but the presence only tempted more to fight back. 

School ended for the day and Kayne kept his younger brother by his side as they headed out towards the farmhouse. Aiden only recently turned eight years old and he fought the odds by remaining childishly innocent in the midst of a national uprising. To protect him, Kayne watched him nonstop, often skipping his own classes to roam around the primary school Aiden attended. Aiden felt like the last good thing on earth to Kayne. Both brothers shared a muddy blond, jagged haircut that bowled around their pale faces. Kayne’s eyes however stuck out from his face while Aiden’s eyes glistened, doe-like, in the evening light. Aiden carried with him a thin teddy bear sewn from their father’s old work shirt. Perhaps, to Aiden, carrying around the bear made him feel close to their deceased parents. 

The sky darkened as a murky stormcloud wandered over the desolate street, casting a gloomy haze over the two brothers. Two soldiers appeared by the intersection where Kayne often led Aiden through. The shortcut led them between the industrial towers where smoke continuously billowed from and contaminated the purity of the sky. The area, however, prided itself in the No Trespassing signs bolted to each visible wall. Kayne knew better than to sneak through forbidden alleys, but the path led him home faster. The faster Kayne got home, the faster he got Aiden out of the streets. 

Kayne grabbed Aiden and pulled him by the arm behind him. Kayne frowned and whispered, “Stay behind me.”

“Are we caught?” Aiden asked in a muted voice. He grasped onto the loose fabric of Kayne’s cargo jeans. 

“Hush,” Kayne instructed him and proceeded forward. A million lies zipped through Kayne’s mind as he thought of ways to get by the soldiers. Turning back would result in being followed. Up close confrontation would be best to avoid disaster.  _ Causality saved lives, _ Kayne assured himself. 

A soldier zeroed in on Kayne, pointing the gun to his face. The soldier shouted, “Halt! Who are you?”

Kayne lifted his hands calmly. “I’m not armed, I’m just heading home.”

“This area is restricted. What are your intentions?” The soldier stepped forward. 

“I’m just leading me and my brother home.”

“Liar, this area is marked no trespassing,” the soldier’s partner shouted from behind him, staying halfway hidden by the wall. 

“Liar?” Kayne uneasily laughed, “I swear. Would you… believe I’m illiterate?”

“Illiterate? Convenient, I’d say. Step forward.”

Kayne gripped onto to Aiden’s shoulder and continued walking. Kayne kept his head low. Aiden pressed his bear into his chest as he followed. 

The soldier moved the gun away from Kayne and aimed at Aiden. Kayne snarled and moved to block the shot. 

“The hell are you snooks doing pointing that death machine at him!” Kayne growled, “Sod off, just let us pass through here.”

The sound of clattering footsteps started echoing behind Kayne. The soldiers and brothers both seemed uneasy. As the soldier readied his gun, peering viciously down the sight, a mob began to barrel down the alleys, threatening to overtake the factories. More soldiers started filing in and the hidden soldier called for backup. 

Aiden latched onto Kayne’s leg, slinging his bear around in despair and fear. The soldier, spotting the bear, shouted for the boy to drop it. As the tension rose, Kayne grabbed the boy and ordered him to run. 

“Run! Aiden, run, come on!” He pulled him aside and took off, trying to beat the soldiers and escape the industrial zone. 

In the madness of a steadily approaching riot, misplayed brothers, and god-complexed UK soldiers, a gun fired. Aiden stumbled beside Kayne and dropped to the ground. In instinct, Aiden pulled his bear to the wound. Kayne screamed at the soldier, hunching over from where he stood. 

“How could you! How could you! Get out! Get out of my home!” Kayne spit at the soldier and bellowed until his lungs burned. Aiden died that night. 

The death of his brother wounded Kayne. He dared to gather his bare belongings and seek refuge in America. As he boarded the plane and his memory droned on and on in his mind, he could feel his lungs still burning. All Kayne could dream of on the flight was a better world. His destination, the Denver Airport Peace Rally, seemed to be a proper place to garner support for his country. Kayne took a deep breath and stared at his feet. 

Hours sped by until the plane finally landed. Kayne passed by the strangers bustling by and exited the plane. A large gathering of diverse people swarmed the open grounds of the airport. 

“Must be in the right place. Hey! Hey, you lot…” Kayne directed his attention to a passing man, “is this the peace rally? Am I in the right place?”

The man rolled his eyes and ditched Kayne. Kayne scowled at the man and kept walking into the crowd. “What good you are, you divvy looking fool!”

As Kayne wandered into the peace rally, he passed by a young boy happily perched on his father’s shoulders. The young boy smiled at him but Kayne had to tear his sight away. The boy’s light brown hair and light eyes brought the sight of Aiden dying back to him. Kayne merged into the crowd, shouting if anyone supported the Irish’s fight against the UK, but as he asked, he realized no one knew of the struggles his people faced. He persisted until an Asian gentlemen barreled past him and tripped Kayne. Kayne skidded into the ground and glared at the man. 

The man’s stomach bulged as if hiding a package underneath. Kayne squinted, wondering if the man was armed.  _ A bomb at a peace rally? _ Kayne shook his head but continued to watch the man. He followed the Asian curiously, but as he got closer, the man fervently spoke to a monk who caught sight of him and the two lead into the crowd. 

The monks caught Kayne off guard, but Kayne did not know what else to expect. The monks travelled here to Denver to hold this rally. Previously in the year, North Korea bombed China, resulting in a mass riot worldwide as a war began to unravel. Uneasiness nipped at Kayne as he looked at the Asian man.  _ Would he really be here to bomb? _

Kayne walked by a dark skinned, latino man. The man he past held tears in his eyes as he watched couples file past him. The eerie longing sent shivers down Kayne’s spine. He looked away from the sorrowful man and kept walking. Kayne wandered along the lounge area and scoped out places to stand. If Kayne could rise and stand up, he could make a speech about saving his country by gaining American support. The air trembled as Kayne looked away. 

A loud cracking echoed across the building. Kayne blinked and looked up as the airport shook. Kayne stood amidst the crowd as a shockwave blasted through the building. Shrapnel tore through bodies, spraying blood through the crowd. Kayne dropped to the ground as a bomb destroyed and massacred the people who were unlucky enough to be underneath the drop. Dead bodies littered while others appeared limbless or shattered as they wailed a sorrowful cry. Kayne hyperventilated as he witnessed the young, carefree child from before lamenting over the torn, still bodies of his parents. The shoulders he once rode upon melted into the red of the slick floor. Kayne shivered as reality set it. A large bomb unexpectedly struck the peace rally at the Denver airport. 

Kayne’s ears rang with a sharp vibrato. A terrifying sickness washed over Kayne as he gazed across the carnage, especially as he watched the boy mourn. Kayne listened to the boy beg for his mama, for his papa, but no movement rose from the ground. The boy nestled between the two before wandering off. Kayne shook his head and rushed forward. A few thoughts became a clammering madness in his head as speculations of the attack festered. The Asian man must’ve bombed the place… or… he knew something. Kayne couldn’t think straight. The sight of the man urgently and passionately begging to talk to the monk flashed by. Perhaps, he  _ was _ involved. 

Kayne’s eyes refocused as he blinked back to reality.  _ Save the kid!  _ The living crowd rushed around, but Kayne shoved people away. Urgency bit at his heels, pushing him deeper and deeper into the chaos. Sirens rang out, muting any voice attempting to call out. 

Finally, a shorter body came into sight. The boy from before, bloodied and carrying something tight into his chest, stumbled by. Tears clouded the young boy’s eyes and the memory of Aiden resurfaced. Kayne knew not to frighten him, so he slowly leveled himself on one knee and looked at him. Kayne wordlessly nodded upwards and carefully placed a hand on his shoulder. 

“Come on, kid, come on. We need to get going.” Kayne pried the paper from the child and looked over it. Chinese symbols littered the pages. The only English, in bolded crimson, stood out from the deep black jumbled lines.  _ Confidential _ . 

Kayne frowned but took his attention away from the papers and gave the boy the papers back to hold onto. The crowd proved to be no place for a conversation while bodies clashed together heading for evacuation. Evacuation areas flashed a brilliant red above the doorways. Kayne lifted the boy from the ground and went running, careful not to jostle him or trip as he dodged objects and broken glass. Easily, Kayne slipped into the mass heading out of the airport. As if pulled by a supernatural force, Kayne and the boy exited the building and continued out into the paved parking lot. Relief teased Kayne’s woes, but he disregarded it. With the current fears, attack, and child, Kayne could not take time to rest. 

While scoping out the parking lot, Kayne spied on a young woman opening a light yellow car’s door and answering her phone before running away towards a man who stood closer to the building. Distracted by the phone call, she left her door wide open and vulnerable. Kayne leapt at the opportunity and hastily charged towards the vehicle. Upon reaching the door, breathing shallowly in nervous flutter, Kayne pushed the boy into the car and personally climbed into the driver seat. A quick look around revealed a bejeweled hand bag between the seats. Kayne scrounged through the bag until finding a keychain of various charms and a single key. The car started on the key, so Kayne closed the door and tore out of the parking lot like a bat out of hell. 

While speeding down the street, Kayne pulled his cheap flip phone out of his pocket and speed dialed his last living relative. An elderly woman answered the phone, cautiously saying hello. 

“Gramma, I’m okay, but… I think I need to do something. I’ll try to get home if I can. I’m sorry,” Kayne sighed, glancing at the child beside him. Before his grandmother could argue, he hung up. An odd silence swelled. 

Kayne eyed the papers the child held onto still. Whatever the child held onto seemed awfully important. To get further, Kayne needed to know where he last saw the Asian man. 

“The monks… perhaps he’s… the sanctuary!” Kayne spoke aloud. He cast his gaze towards the child before awkwardly frowning. “I’m sorry, kid, uhh, I’m Kayne. Kayne O’Peters. Would you have a name?”

Kayne waited while he righted the destination and drove in the direction of the sanctuary, guided by tourist signs. 

“Nicolae,” the boy replied. 

Kayne nodded and continued driving. The sun danced through the sky as hours passed. The darkness of the evening crawled into the cab. The shadows passing by the windows chilled Kayne as images of the shooting flitted by. In the hazy lights, Kayne could dare to believe Aiden sat where Nicolae trembled. 

A tall, stone and mortar building appeared at the end of the winding street. The gravel of the walkway bounced the car until a sandy smooth path took dominance under the tires. Kayne carefully drove until parking outside the building. Kayne took a deep breath, thinking this must be the correct place. 

“Okay, Nicolae, I think those papers you have are quite important and… I’m on a limb here but maybe the guy they belong is here and… I don’t know, but come on,” Kayne nodded. 

As Kayne and Nicolae approached the dull gray building, the sight of monks caught his attention. Kayne carefully pulled the papers out of Nicolae’s hands. After holding the papers, Kayne once more flipped through the stack, still oblivious to what he saw. The duo kept walking up towards the sanctuary building. Kayne went through first. 

“Oi! Any Asians in there? I have these things?” Kayne shouted, “I was just in a bombing and I have papers. I want to know what's going on.” 

A few monks stopped and stared at Kayne before skittering off in the same direction. Kayne blinked, looked down to the child, then followed. The hall stretched around various rooms where monks bowed or congregated. Kayne peered around the rooms as he walked by. The footsteps of the monks echoed only slightly in comparison to Kayne’s blatant thumping.

The monks swooped into the corridor to the left, leaving Nicolae and Kayne trailing behind. Nicolae first eyed the turn at the end of the hall, leaving Kayne to question the next mode of action. Going ahead, Kayne walked into the room. Inside the corridor spanned an extensive, luxurious lounge-like room. The Asian man from before nervously fluttering about in his seat. Kayne exhaled, glancing down at the papers in his hands. Pushing Nicolae aside, Kayne stepped forward, catching the attention of the Asian, prompting a loud screech.

Kayne, startled, paused in place the moment the man leapt from his spot and tackled Kayne to the ground. The man furiously scrambled through the now scattering pages of a confidential portfolio. Nervous breathing filling the room as the man climbed off Kayne and ran towards the other doorway. A cloaked monk stepped from the doorway as the Asian shoved the papers towards him. 

“The hell?” Kayne whispered to himself. Kayne brushed himself off and righted himself on his feet. Anger sparked along with a throbbing in Kayne’s back. “Tell me what’s going on!”

The Asian man only briefly looked at Kayne, angrily glaring, before talking with the monk. Kayne uneasily stepped forward then continued forward, pinpointing the monk. The monk nodded peacefully towards Kayne. 

“I’m Kayne,” Kayne carefully said and offered his hand to shake. 

The monk glanced at the hand then spoke, “Dhargey. I’m Dhargey. As I understand, thank you for returning these papers to Zhao.”

Kayne retracted his hand and stuffed it into his pocket. 

At the point of Dhargey introducing himself, the latino man from the airport came bursting into the room. The man panted, waving his arms madly in the air. The man hunched over, placing his hands on his lap. 

“Who is…” Kayne mumbled to himself, trying to think why the man would show up. 

“Don’t hurt them. I saw it. They didn’t steal the papers. They just… Um.”

The group stared at the man. 

Nicolae spoke up through the silence, “What’s your name, mister?”

The man stood up, wringing his hands together, before beaming proudly, “My name is Felipe. I’m from Brazil.”

Various chatter began to stir up, determining where to go next. The newest member of the group quickly welcomed in. 

“Alright Nicolae, we have to get these papers to someone very important now. If anything goes wrong, the monk here will rescue you and keep you safe.”

Nicolae nodded happily. He looked up towards Kayne then to the group. With a small, informative voice, Nicolae announced, “Okay, but first, I gotta potty.”

Kayne facepalmed then shook his head at the kid, not saying no, but instead in response to his expression. 

_____________

The car barrelled down the street. Cars zoomed by on both directions, headlights lighting up the windshield with each second. Kayne tightened his grip on the wheel, dead set on the destination of the government building. The newness of being in America still daunted Kayne, but the remembrance of death and the importance of the papers fueled Kayne to keep going on this endeavor. Nothing scared Kayne now. 

Inside the stolen car, Dhargey the monk, Nicolae, and Zhao all sat in various seats. Instead of being in a carseat, Nicolae sat in the protective lap of Dhargey. Off and on, Nicolae proudly admired him and spoke to him eagerly. Kayne spent only a few seconds listening to him before focusing solely on driving. 

The drive began to eat away at the crew. Kayne ground his teeth in the silence, occasionally trying to read the expression of Felipe in the car behind him. The latino man, encouraged by the death of his girlfriend, followed the crew to the sanctuary and now to the US government building. Losing someone dear to them led many to seek revenge and for some closure. For Felipe, it seemed that his motive was comfort in her not dying in vein. For Kayne, he knew only action kept others from suffering Aiden’s fate: dying at the hands of a wicked government. 

Above the road signs, a tail wire, chain-linked fence guarded the facility. Armed policemen with curved bulletproof shields roamed the grounds. Kayne floored the gas and barrelled through the gate enclosing the area. Once passing the guards, Kayne spun the vehicle around and evaded the policeman in enough time for everyone to leap out and rush inside. Felipe, trailing behind, became swarmed by the policemen.

Felipe got out of his car and put his hands up to the sky as he shouted to them. The distraction awarded the crew alongside Kayne enough time to infiltrate the building. Thankfully, all guards abandoned this side of the building, focusing on Felipe. In the madness of guards rushing about, Nicolas hid in the full bushes alongside the doorway.

Dhargey stepped out into the hallway first, leading the way for the two to follow. Dhargey walked regally and thoughtfully through the hallway. Prior to entrance, Zhao relinquished the papers to Dhargey to hold onto, hoping the officials trusted the instruction of a devout monk instead of a wild, frantic escapee. As the crew wandered through, gunshots could be heard from outside, signalling for the group to walk faster. Tall, bullet proof glass decorated the largest office in the building. Suited men rushed about the room, the clouded glass obscuring faces. In the chaos, some jolted from the room and ducked into adjoining offices. 

Once outside the office, Kayne glanced down to ensure Nicolae still followed, but remembered they all hid the child outside for safety. Kayne felt a wave of relief at the idea, but felt amazed to find that, as he scanned around, Zhao disappeared. 

“Wasn’t… he just with us?” Kayne turned to Dhargey, implying Zhao. 

Dhargey only blinked, turning his head slightly, side to side, before turning back to the office and walking inside. Once inside, Kayne let go of his breath. The man at the desk stood up, beginning to shout at Kayne and Dhargey. Men dressed completely in black suits grappled Kayne, pulling him aside. Kayne fought the grasp, instincts telling him to run. 

Dhargey stepped forward, urgently whispering to the man at the desk. The papers exchanged hands quickly. Bewildered blinking clouded the man’s face as he shuffled through the stack. Dhargey remained stoic, standing perfect postured with his hands together. The man frowned as his shoulders sagged. Dhargey continued to explain, too softly for Kayne to hear. Despite Kayne’s fury, the young man did not fight the violent guard’s grasp any longer, instead focusing on the task at hand. The man from the desk duly stared down, clearly believing Dhargey’s truth. 

“It’s too late… instructions were sent off.”

Kayne stiffened. “Instructions?”

The man’s face paled and his eyes glistened like frosted snow under the fluorescent lights. Fear and realization stitched into the man’s nerves. He took a shaky breath, addressing the guards in his room, “Apparently… we have new information regarding the recent bombings. An infiltration of the headquarters in China. This is full, confidential notes of everyone involved. China is not attacking us, or Korea. And we just nuked them?”

Kayne froze before shouting, lunging forward from the grasps of the guards, “You imbecile! Does anyone in this world take time before thinking? Does anyone? People die! You all kill people! You Brits and Americans take lives like free samples. Is this a game? What’s with these governments tearing lives apart for show?!”

The guards pushed forward and dug their fingers into the thin muscles of Kayne’s biceps. Kayne continued to force himself forward while speaking. The man at the desk grimaced then humorlessly stared with his nose twitching. Kayne practically stomped on the eggshells one should walk on in delicate situations. Face burning like white fire, Kayne continued to shout. 

“My brother died because of heartless officials like you, playing God and bombing, shooting, gassing, taking, roaming. You don’t know what you’ve done. You’ve killed us all. You’ve killed us all!” Kayne jerked his arm free before running out of the room. 

Dhargey followed suit, trying to catch up to him. At the end of the hall, just before the grand carved doorframe that led outside to a wicked world, two of the armed guards raised their weapons towards Kayne. Ignoring all orders to stop, Kayne kamikazed forward. A guard fired, striking Kayne in his side. He somersaulted over his feet, but adrenaline masked his suffering as he leapt back up. Somehow worming between the guards, Kayne slipped outside, stumbling down the marble steps. The guards surrounded him, threatening him with guns and the rest lifted him up by his arms. Kayne panted, pain finally leeching his strength and his life slowly began to fade away. 

Across the ground, blood splattered the walkway between the steps and Felipe’s car. Kayne nodded his head, dead attention to the guards, as he stared at the dead body of Felipe in the grass. Devotion continued to kill people. 

Behind the guards, Dhargey snuck by, seeking Nicolae’s hiding place over by the side entrance steps. Kayne barely made out Dhargey easing Nicolas up from the bushes and began fleeing from the scene. A stray cat slunk under the wire fence, encouraging Dhargey and Nicolae to follow behind it. Kayne couldn’t help but smile as he watched Nicolae crawl under the flawed fence line and escape beside the monk. The two ran as fast as fate allowed. Nicolae held up his hands in victory pose, unaware much worse loomed in the future. 

Kayne watched Nicolae and Dhargey escape into the surroundings and witnessed Nicolae run, hands to the sky, away from the death and destruction that trapped Kayne.  _ If only Aiden escaped too _ , Kayne thought to himself as he sighed with his last breath, but instead Aiden died, hands to the sky, fated to see Kayne soon alongside him. 

Darkness blanketed Kayne’s vision. The fire and brimstone world let go of Kayne, like Aiden and Felipe before him. Success could not be denied, although fruitless. If lives were not offered in an attempt to change the world, nothing could ever be accomplished in life. Kayne assured himself once more that he did the right thing and all would be okay. The pain prickling Kayne’s stomach became a cold murmur like a conversation between confidants. The murmur became a whisper until, finally, all words suddenly stopped. 

**Author's Note:**

> In class, everyone HAD to keep calling him Kanye! It was not KANYE.   
> As per requirements, we had to justify our character names. Kayne is named after Cain from the Bible, which is why his younger brother, Aiden, dies. Aiden is as close as I could get to Able within the realm of logic for the story. There were about seven other components/POVs to this story, but I hope it can stand alone. Every character mentioned in this also had a chapter.


End file.
